European Nuclear Waste Disposal

Nuclear power appears to be gaining wider acceptance across Europe, though issues remain due to the lack of proper storage facilities for high-level radioactive waste.

The European Union continues its effort to decrease carbon dioxide emissions throughout the continent. Nuclear energy is considered a source that already makes a substantial contribution to the EU policy of a continuous supply of low-carbon, cost-effective power. Currently supplying 30% of Europe's electricity, nuclear power contributes to stabilized energy prices due to its ratio of primary investment costs to fuel costs.

However, the European public has concerns about nuclear power, focusing on waste disposal, particularly high-level radioactive waste. Proposed solutions include the use of deep geologic depositories, but the first operational facilities are at least a decade away. Finland is currently building such a facility in Eurajoki, near the Olkiluoto nuclear plant, but it will not be ready for use until 2020. Germany is also planning to build a deep geologic disposal site at the Gorsleben salt dome in Lower Saxony, but it will not be operational until at least 2025.

Recent studies have shown Europe only needs a handful of long-term storage facilities for nuclear waste. While this is good news for individual countries, it raises another safety concern. How can this high-level radioactive waste be safely transported across borders? Can you imagine the dangers of a truck with highly contaminated waste products overturning on a highway? I assume that not only would special trucks have to be built for transportation purposes, but new roads as well. I don't believe most people would be happy driving down the highway with one of these trucks nearby.

Europe still has a long way to go before safely achieving long-term radioactive waste disposal. At least the EU and member states are continually moving forward in their pursuit of this goal.